The Houses Competition Year 3 Compilation
by kuroaiko2014
Summary: All stories written for the third year of THC. Multiple characters, multiple pairings. Obviously, I don't own anything except plot bunnies.
1. R1 Short

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round One  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Short (1500-3000 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): "Name told me to. So I did" [Speech]  
** **Word count: 1876 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Trish, Aya**

 **Lessons and Detentions**

"Great job, Luna!" Harry called from where he was working with Neville on banishing and summoning charms.

Luna waved at Harry and concentrated on banishing the pillow she had just summoned from the pile on the other side of the room.

Cho ground her teeth and had Marietta send a banishing charm at Luna when the girl wasn't looking. Luna stepped lightly to the side, narrowly missing the jet of light aimed at her. She looked around and turned slightly to keep her House-mates in view, so they could not get the best of her again.

"That was too close," Luna muttered as Harry called a stop to the spell casting.

"Okay, everyone!" Harry called out. "Gather around. We are going to start working on something a bit harder now."

Hermione stepped up and whispered in Harry's ear. He nodded in response and she smiled before stepping back to let the students focus on their unofficial leader.

"Oi, Potter," Zacharias Smith sneered.

"What, Smith?" Harry sounded exasperated with his year mate.

"What are you gonna teach us now? Longbottom _still_ doesn't have a basic understanding of which end of his wand is the right end." Smith laughed at his own little bitter remark with his friends.

"Neville is just fine with his wandwork, Smith," Harry snapped. "I won't have _anyone_ bullying another in this room. You can see yourself out if you continue."

Smith glared at Harry, but he and his friends quieted their snickers and waited to see what the next lesson would be.

"I will be demonstrating the _Patronus_ Charm. Hermione will pass out study materials copied from books that were used when I was taught the spell in Third Year by Professor Lupin so that everyone has an even start to master the spell. The books are not in Hogwarts' Library which is why it took this long to get to this lesson. I had to wait for Professor Lupin to get back to me with the materials he used to teach me."

Harry paused and looked out over his peers, watching as Cho and her cronies gave Luna a shove with a practiced air of nonchalance. His gaze narrowed and he flicked his eyes to Hermione who noticed immediately that her friend was not pleased. She followed his gaze to the gaggle of girls, crossed her arms, then turned back to Harry, giving a subtle nod. The entire interaction between Harry and Hermione took less than fifteen seconds and was caught by no one else.

Harry clapped making sure everyone had their eyes on him.

"Alright then. The first thing about the _Patronus_ Charm is that it is useful not only against Dementors but also Lethifolds. There are two types of _Patronus_ , corporeal and non-corporeal. You should know that casting a _Patronus_ is highly difficult. It took me quite a while, and a lot of chocolate, to be able to cast one against a Boggart that took the form of a Dementor. I won't be testing you against a Dementor, or even a Boggart shaped like one, simply because we do not have the time, nor resources to do so. Now–" Harry braced himself with feet shoulder width apart, "You must begin with thinking of the happiest thought you can—"

"Happy thoughts?!" Zacharias scoffed.

" _Silencio_!" Hermione snapped. "This is your last warning, Smith. One more and you are gone for good."

Zacharias glared at the Muggle-born girl, folding his arms angrily when he realized that everyone was glaring at him. His friends didn't even bother to remove the spell from him.

Harry shook his head. "As I was saying, think of your happiest thought. The _Patronus_ Charm is an emotion-based spell that relies on good thoughts. Why do you think Azkaban is such a cold and dreary place? Dementors pull your happiness from you leaving nothing but negativity and despair."

Zacharias nodded in recognition. Hermione snapped her wand and cancelled the spell on him wordlessly.

The group looked at Hermione with wide eyes before she rolled her own and motioned for them to pay attention to Harry.

Luna took the opportunity afforded to her by Cho's inattention to move away from her in order to avoid another shove or hex being aimed at her.

"The wand movements are fairly simple. You just draw small circles with your wand in order to amp up the power level of your _Patronus_." Harry demonstrated the movements and continued, "The incantation is _Expecto Patronum_." At his last words, Prongs leaped from the tip of his wand and silently cantered about the room amid the gasps of his peers.

Harry let the spell fail once Prongs made a full circuit and stood by his side once more. "That's it for tonight's lesson."

"I have the reading in packets right here," Hermione stated, pulling a stack out of her bag and moving to stand by the exit. "Make sure you don't let anyone know what you are studying. I took precautions to ensure that the packets look harmless to non-D.A. members, but better safe than sorry, no?"

Everyone lined up to receive their study materials and head back to their dorms in ones and twos.

When the last student besides Harry and Hermione left – Ron had missed the lesson due to being in detention with Snape – Harry turned to Hermione with anger sparking in his eyes.

"I'm already on it, Harry. Don't worry." Hermione tried to soothe Harry before he could burst out in anger.

"How can they treat a girl a year younger than them _and_ in their House like that?" Harry growled.

"I told you, Harry. I have it under control. I'm going to assign Padma as her designated protector in their House." Hermione pulled her coin out and waved it under Harry's nose. "Now let's _go_ before Professor _Not_ Pretty in Pink finds us out after curfew. We only have five minutes to get back."

Harry sighed and followed his best girl friend out of the Room of Requirement.

* * *

Luna looked around and sighed when she saw her things had once again vanished from her trunk and wardrobe in the Ravenclaw dorms. She knew that it could have been worse – Cho could have actually confronted her about her friendship with Harry, but she preferred to have her cronies torment Luna instead.

Luna frowned and waved her wand, summoning her trainers. She smirked in satisfaction when she heard a thunk and yelp from the common room before the trainers sailed into her outstretched hands. "Serves you right, Thief," she snarled as she charmed her trainers blue and pulled them on just in time for someone to come tromping up the stairs. She twisted her hair up and secured it with her wand. She quickly adopted her dreamy expression and smiled at the newcomer. "Oh, hello. How are you today?"

Padma looked down at Luna before saying, "Cho got hit with a pair of flying trainers downstairs."

Luna blinked owlishly, "Oh dear. Those wrackspurts are getting feisty."

Padma frowned, "Why do you let them get to you, Luna?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Padma arched a delicate eyebrow. "That's the story you're going with? Don't want to think about it for a minute?"

Luna shrugged. "It works for everything else. Why drop a good thing?"

"You can't keep letting them do this to you, Luna," Padma sighed heavily as she sat next to the younger girl. "You need to tell Harry and Hermione about them."

Luna jerked away from the older girl with a snort. "They can't do anything. They are not _here_ when I am being attacked or having things stolen from me." Luna stopped and turned to her only friend in her House. "Why would you tell me to go to them?"

Padma pulled out her fake galleon and showed it to Luna. "Hermione told me to. So I did." She replaced the coin in her robe pocket and looked at the wide eyed fourth year. "She also told me to try to keep you under my wing, so to speak, and see if that doesn't help with the bullying. I know they don't listen to me, Luna, but they _will_ listen to Harry and Hermione. If that doesn't work, I'll go with you to Professor Flitwick."

"Why would he do anything to stop them?" Luna scoffed. "He hasn't even noticed that I show up to most classes with no shoes, or ripped robes, or missing my books."

Padma looked startled at that revelation. "How is that even possible?"

Luna shrugged and pulled her wand out of her hair to try to mend her cloak.

"What about the Weasley twins? Fred and George?" Padma tried to come up with another source of help for the diminutive blonde.

"They are busy helping those that receive detention from Professor Umbridge." Luna gave up on repairing the damage and made a note to send for a new set from Madam Malkin's.

"Why would they need help? It's just detention. We all have them." Padma frowned as she watched Luna pace in front of her.

Luna shot a privacy and repelling charm at the door before turning to the Indian girl. "There is a reason that each professor pulls their favorite students, or in Professor Snape's case, all Slytherins, from Professor Umbridge's detentions, Padma. Professor Umbridge is using Black Quills on students. Some of the younger years are now permanently scarred by her machinations."

Padma paled drastically. "Pavarti has a detention with her Friday night!"

"I don't know what to tell you. If she doesn't have a professor to pull her from the detention, she _will_ be subjected to the Black Quill and all its nastiness." Luna sighed and sat back down next to the now shell-shocked older girl.

They both jumped a bit when their galleons heated up to display a new message telling them the next meeting was going to be that night instead of Friday like planned.

The meeting had been going well, with Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and even Neville displaying corporeal _Patronuses_.

Just as the majority of the group was getting the hang of at least issuing the haze of a non-corporeal _Patronus,_ the walls shook. Everyone stopped and stared at the walls in trepidation as another shock went through the room. Harry took a step forward as a small hole was punched through the wall. He gulped and spun to his students.

"Everyone run! They can't catch you all!" The Room or Requirement created several exit points and the class bolted in separate directions, each student hoping that their friends got out alright as they fervently tried to get away safely themselves while Harry, Hermione, and Ron provided spellfire cover for them.

* * *

In the events that followed, Padma and Luna didn't have to worry about trying to get Parvati out of detention. Professor Umbridge was too busy being terrified of the sound of clopping hooves to monitor any detentions she issued.

Luna no longer had to worry about Cho and Marietta bullying her as she became known as one of the Ministry Six and was firmly under the protection of four Gryffindor upperclassmen and one fiery redheaded female with a penchant for bat-bogey hexes.


	2. R1 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round One  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): September 1st [Date]  
** **Word count: 782 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya**

 **Notes: AU Snape!Lives**

 **The First**

September first dawned cold and clear over Hogwarts. A few stray owls flew into the Headmaster's open office window.

Dark eyes surveyed the line of owls perched on the bookshelf under the window.

"These had better be the most important letters in the history of letters," Headmaster Snape groused as he stepped towards the lineup to start pulling the letters off of legs and out of beaks.

In the aftermath of the Great Battle as the Wizarding World was calling in, the truth came out that Severus Snape had been working under Headmaster Dumbledore's orders, and that his murder of said Headmaster was a mercy killing, not in cold blood as it had seemed. After that revelation came an even greater one, Hogwarts herself had deemed him appropriate for the Headmaster's role. She refused to allow anyone to replace him, even Minerva McGonagall. Hogwarts, being a sentient, though non-speaking, being had chosen Severus Snape as she had seen him trying to protect the students from the worst of the Death Eaters' punishments and cruelty in his reign as Headmaster in the last year of Voldemort's oppression.

Snape's reminiscing over the past came to an abrupt halt when he saw the owl at the end of the line. It was a gray owl with sharp green eyes. "Potter!"

The owl clacked its beak and shifted into the still too short form of Harry Potter.

"Good morning, Severus!" Harry greeted cheerily.

"Why are you in my office and _not_ yours?" Snape responded, his usual sneer absent. He ran a hand through his cropped short black hair. "Don't you need to do some last minute revision of your syllabus?"

Harry perched on the Headmaster's desk with a grin. "Nope. I finished that two days ago. I left it in your sitting room via house elf." Harry stared imperiously at the Headmaster, " _Which_ you would know if you had spent _any_ time in your rooms instead of here freaking out over the same things that you do every year."

Snape frowned. "I am _not_ freaking out, Potter."

"Uh, yeah, you are. Every year, for ten years now, you have spent at _least_ two, if not more, days pacing in your office as you try to tack down every last detail for September First to be the smoothest run yet. You would know if you had any faith in your staff, that we all put forth the effort to assist in making this day easier for you. We redirect the majority of last minute owls to myself, Rolanda, Septima, and Minerva. We leave only the ones addressed specifically to a Potions Master to you."

Snape arched his eyebrow as he looked at the collected letters in his hand. "And the last minute allergy alerts and things of that nature?"

"The kitchen elves and the Infirmary have those. We are not incompetent, Severus. You trusted us enough to hire us. Let us do our jobs to make yours easier. You are going prematurely gray."

Snape sneered. "Looks mean nothing."

"Uh huh." Harry stood and encroached on the Headmaster's space. He reached out and ruffled the man's hair. "So that's why you finally chopped off your hair and use spells instead of potions to keep it from getting damaged due to your potions experimenting?" Harry teased with a smile as he danced out of striking distance from Snape.

Snape glared at the twenty-seven-year-old and pointed at the door. "Go on and finish your preparation. We only have until six to get everything set up."

Harry laughed and saluted Snape before twisting back into his owl _animagus_ form and diving out the window instead of using the door like Snape had asked. He careened out of view and swiftly landed above the open window. He shifted back to human form and laid back on the slightly sun-warmed roofing.

"September First," Snape sighed. "Another year of teaching dunderheads, and another year of dealing with death-defying stunts from that idiot ex-Gryffindor boy."

Harry snorted from his perch above the Headmaster's open window. He conjured his _Patronus_ and sent it into the Headmaster's office with a message.

" _I heard that, Severus. That was not very nice._ "

Snape shook his head and called out. "Get off the roof, Potter, and go to work. I want this to be the best September First we have had."

"Yeah, fine," Harry called back as he jumped off the roof, shifting forms halfway down. _I plan to,_ Harry thought as he made his way around the castle toward his classroom. _I think I will firecall George and see if he has anything to start the year off with a bang. This will be the best September First yet!_


	3. R2 Drabble

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Two  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Drabble (200-750 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): Speech] "I don't want to go."  
** **Word count: 514 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya**  
 **Notes: Next Gen**

 **It'll All Work Out, Somehow**

Scorpius scowled at his packed trunk as he sat on the foot of his bed. His father and mother were already downstairs eating breakfast as Scorpius moped about.

He finally stood up and made his way to the ensuite to take a shower and get dressed.

When he exited the bathroom, steam billowing out behind him, he spared another glance at the chest and shook his head.

Scorpius finally made it down to the dining room where his parents were still eating.

"Good morning, Scorpius," Draco greeted his son.

"Good morning, love," Astoria said as she stood to give the boy a hug.

"Mum. Father." Scorpius sat stiffly after he hugged his mother.

"Are you ready for your big day, Scorpius?" Astoria asked as she reached for her tea.

Scorpius mumbled his response and filled his plate to have something to do.

"What was that?" Draco asked distractedly as a post owl flew in and dropped the newspaper in his lap.

"I don't…" Scorpius trailed off and took a bite of his breakfast with his face down.

"Speak up, dear," Astoria scolded softly.

Scorpius set his silverware down and took a deep breath. "I don't want to go."

"Don't want to go?" Astoria repeated.

"No. I don't want to go to Hogwarts, Mum. Please don't make me!"

Draco cocked his head to the side with a frown. "Why don't you want to go to Hogwarts, Scorpius?"

"They'll hate me." Scorpius' voice was light, almost non-existent.

"Why would _anyone_ hate you?" Astoria reached out and tipped her son's head up to meet his despairing gaze.

"No one likes the name Malfoy, Mum. Even the shopkeepers in Diagon give us ugly looks when your back is turned."

Astoria grimaced. "Just be yourself and it'll all work out. It's been nearly two decades since the War ended. People should know that children are not clones of their parents."

Scorpius sighed and looked at his plate. "May I be excused?"

"Yes. Be ready in twenty minutes. We don't want you to miss the train."

Scorpius left the room and ruminated on his mother's words.

Half an hour later, Scorpius was ensconced in a compartment on the train with a book and his owl, Archimedes.

The train had just pulled away from the station when the cabin door opened and a scruffy-headed boy looked in.

"Can I sit in here? Everywhere else is full, or has people begging for stories of my dad."

Scorpius looked up into bright green eyes and nodded mutely.

"I'm Al - Albus Potter."

"Scorpius…" he hesitated then smiled deprecatingly, "Malfoy."

Al grinned. "Uncle Ron told my cousin, Rose, to beat you in all our tests."

Scorpius shrugged. "Father said that grades aren't everything. So long as I'm happy, he and Mum will be happy."

"That's a good outlook on life. Want to play Wizard's Chess?" Al pulled a miniaturized set from his robes pocket.

"Sure." Scorpius put away his book and focused on the boy who didn't care about his name. Maybe they could be friends? His Mum was right - It'll all work out, somehow.


	4. R2 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Two  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Time] 12:24  
** **Word count: 1478 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya**

 **Notes: Prompt was given permission to be used as AM or PM.**

 **My Child**

I was born at 12:24 AM on an early March morning. I don't know the exact date, but mother was proud that I was the first of her clutch of eggs to hatch. She made sure I knew the time of my hatching. The first of a clutch always had the ability to become more than a mere post owl. We were destined to be familiars.

I always remembered the time of my hatching because that time would soon become the turning point in my life.

* * *

I stared unblinkingly out the window of Eeylops Owl Emporium. The clock had struck noon not long ago and Diagon Alley was bustling with witches and wizards. I had a feeling that today would be the day I found them. My very own child. The one for which I would become a true companion.

At 12:24 PM, a small black-haired boy, and an absolutely enormous man walked past the shop window heading in the direction of Ollivander's. I blinked slowly and barked to the other owls to not let the boy select them if he came in the store. I had found my child and I wasn't going to let anyone or owl, as the case may be, change that fact. I turned back to continue watching the Alley, waiting for my boy to come back my way.

I was caught by surprise when the man came back towards Eeylops without my child. I chittered at the others, making the shop floor clear as the man stepped into the store. As I was the only one left that he could get to easily, the man chose me and a fine gilt cage.

"Treats n' feed as well, please," the man said as the shopkeeper rang me up for sale.

I kept silent as the man put me in the cage and covered it.

I rocked softly on the perch in my new cage as the man left the store.

"Hello, Harry!" The greeting rattled my bones. "Happy birthday!"

The cover was lifted and I caught sight of my child. I screeched in joy and unfurled my white wings to flap them in greeting.

The boy, Harry, smiled brightly as he looked at me.

"Hello, pretty bird," Harry said quietly as he approached. "Does it have a name, Hagrid?" Harry's eyes flicked up to watch the man holding my cage as he waited for an answer.

"No, Harry. I thought yeh might wan' teh name 'er." The man started walking back towards the mouth of the Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.

"Her, hm?" Harry spoke to himself as he stared at me thoughtfully. "I'll have to think about it. I don't want to name her something she won't like."

I barked at Harry and he smiled.

"She really is beautiful."

* * *

He tried to kill me, Hedwig," Harry spoke softly in the infirmary. He had been brought here after confronting a teacher of all things and being injured.

I knew that owls were not _supposed_ to come in the infirmary, but I never adhered to that edict. When my child was hurt, I always visited.

I perched on the headboard of the standard bed he was in and preened his hair as he spoke of his finding out that it wasn't Professor Snape, but _Quirrell_ that was after the Stone he had told me about before.

I listened as he regaled me of the trials he faced to get to the Stone and felt my anger rise. My _child_ made it through those with little help from his friends...how was that supposed to stop an adult with unknown magical resources?

 _Hopefully, next year will be better_ , I thought to myself as I left the infirmary to hunt.

* * *

"I don't understand, Hedwig," Harry whispered in the darkness of the owlery at Hogwarts. "I thought this place was supposed to be better than the Dursley's, but they're even _worse_. How could I have possibly known that speaking to snakes wasn't normal? _Nothing_ here is normal!"

It was early in the morning, and my poor child had been so ostracized by his nestmates in his tower that he used his father's cloak to come to visit me instead of staying in bed. I nipped his ear softly and preened his hair to try to calm him down. My poor child. This year was shaping up to be even _worse_ than last year.

"What can I do, Hedwig? I'm so confused."

I barked softly and pulled a loose feather out of my wing and stuck it in his hair.

Harry laughed wetly and patted my head. He stood up and put his cloak back on but without closing it all the way.

"Thank you, Hedwig. You always know how to cheer me up." He held up my feather. "I'm going to use this as a quill, okay?"

I flapped once and he smiled.

"Goodnight, Hedwig."

* * *

I stood sentinel over Harry as he curled up in the roots of the tree by the lake.

"He was my godfather and he got my parents _murdered_ , Hedwig."

Harry pulled out the article detailing Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban again.

"If I find him, I'll _kill_ him," he swore viciously as he tore up the paper and let the pieces fly over the lake.

Luckily, I was able to convince my charge to eat by going to the kitchens and getting a lunch basket. It was after noon and time for my child to eat, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

"A dragon, Hedwig! First, I'm stuck in a magically binding contract, and now they want me to face a _dragon_!"

Harry flopped onto the ground by the lake and raised his knees for me to perch on them.

"I can barely pass Care of Magical Creatures, even with Hagrid being the teacher, and now they want me to go head-to-head with a creature as big as the Dursleys' house!"

I cocked my head and cooed at him, trying to raise his spirits.

"I'm going to die because I haven't a clue how to outsmart a dragon."

I ruffled my feathers and pierced him with a glare. _My child will_ not _die because of a dragon, thank you very much_.

"I know, I know. I'm just angry. I'm working on a plan, promise!"

* * *

"He's back, and it's my fault," Harry whispered brokenly as he hugged me to his chest. "I couldn't stop Pettigrew from taking my blood, and now he's back."

I tucked my head under Harry's chin and chittered at him. _It's not your fault, child. You said yourself that you were unable to stop the rat man._

I vowed to myself to be on my guard even more.

* * *

I screeched in appalled indignation when I saw the state of Harry's hand after detention with the demon in pink.

"Hush, Hedwig! It's not that bad."

 _Not that bad?! You've words carved into your skin!_ I screeched again and flew in tight circles over Harry's head. I would get that woman if I had to divebomb her in the Great Hall at high noon to do so.

"We'll get her back, Hedwig. We just have to have patience."

* * *

"Sirius is dead." Harry's lifeless voice gave me chills and nothing I could do broke him from his stupor. It wasn't until Harry was brought to Headquarters that he had any sort of life to him at all.

* * *

"Dumbledore is dead." The words so similar to the end of Harry's Fifth Year drove me to distraction. My child couldn't be broken again. Not again, please.

* * *

There were so many people in the house that I was unnerved. The home really was built to only handle a single family, not all these witches and wizards that were here to move Harry when the blood wards broke as Harry turned seventeen.

My child had many doppelgangers now, and it was momentarily startling, but my bond was only to the true Harry.

"Send the bird now, Potter. She's a dead giveaway to which of us is really you."

"Yessir," Harry responded. "Go on, Hedwig. I'll see you at the Weasleys'."

I flew out the door as the group exited the house. The countdown started as they all went to their preferred method of transport and took off.

The moment Harry left the wards, the sound of apparition filled the air and a battle of which I had never seen took place. I saw _my_ Harry with Hagrid and took off in that general direction as two other Harrys were going that way.

I saw as my Harry betrayed himself and shot a stunner. I watched, horrified as the Dark Lord himself appeared, and took aim. I knew then what I had to do. As the green spell left the Dark Lord's wand at 12:24 AM, I saw my boy for the last time.


	5. R3 Drabble

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Three  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Drabble (200-750 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): Family [Speech] "Why do you never believe me? Is it because I always lie?"  
** **Word count: 530 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya  
** **Notes:**

 **A Child's Rage**

George glared at his older brother as he held Fred tightly to himself. "Go away, Percy!"

Percy glared down at the raging nine-year-old and sneered, "Why? Do you think that Mum would believe you over me?"

George just held tighter to his crying twin as Fred clenched his right arm to his chest.

Percy laughed coldly. "You've spent your entire lives being rotten trouble-makers with a penchant for lying. Mum won't believe that I caused Fred's injury. She'll blame you and your carelessness."

George bared his teeth and screamed at Percy, "I will get you back if it's the last thing I do, Percy Ignatius Weasley! You won't get away with this!"

Percy snorted. "Good luck with that, runt. You won't even get wands for two more years."

Fred whimpered lightly as his arm gave a dull throb. "Georgie, let's just get Mum. It hurts."

George looked at his injured twin and growled lightly as he pulled him away from his elder brother.

Percy just shook his head and turned back to his secondhand school books. He needed to study if he was going to get a headstart on getting high enough scores to become a Prefect in five years.

The twins burst into the kitchen to confront their mother and tell her what Percy did to Fred.

"Mum, Mum! Percy hurt Freddie!" George wailed as he brought his twin forward for inspection.

"Now why on earth would Percy hurt Fred, George? Are you sure you didn't just get too rough with each other?"

George looked at his mother with betrayal shining in his eyes. "Why do you never believe me? Is it because I always lie?" He wrapped his arms around his middle as he watched his mum cast a minor healing spell at Fred.

"We don't, by the way. It _was_ Percy. He didn't like that we were reading ahead in his school books. He said we're too stupid to learn anything. He threatened us both–" George cut off and looked at his mum.

"You don't believe us," Fred interjected quietly. "George would never hurt me. You know about twin bonds, but you _still_ think that he could."

George looked down in dejection. "Percy was right. Mum never believes us anyway."

Fred frowned and flexed his newly healed arm. "Forget it. Let's just go back to our room."

"Yeah," George cast another glance at their mother. "So much for family. At least I have you, Freddie."

"We have Charlie, Ronnie, and Ginny, too...even if Ronnie and Ginny are little, they still love us and believe us when we tell the _truth_."

Molly blanched at the indication that she refused to listen to the truth from her middle children. It was an ingrained response for her with George and Fred reminding her so much of her own mischievous brothers Gideon and Fabian. She realized as the twins left her that she placed too much faith in her third child's words and never truly gave her twins the chance to defend themselves before assuming their blame. The boys were right. It was time she started taking a more active role in her family. Her twins deserved that much from her at the very least.


	6. R3 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Three  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): Love conquers all [Colour] Silver  
** **Word count: 1145 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Jet, Aya  
** **Notes: "** _ **italics.**_ " **=thoughts. Used movie 2 as inspiration more than the book.**

 **The Cold Truth**

Draco's breath caught in his throat as he heard his father and mother speaking about the coming school year.

"I think that we will see a rapid decline in filth at Hogwarts this year, Narcissa," Lucius drawled as his quill scratched away at a sheet of parchment.

"Is that so?" Narcissa replied from her seat before the fire.

"I have something...special in my possession. The Dark Lord said it was the key to unleashing Slytherin's Beast on the unworthy. I plan to use it."

Narcissa's hand paused as she turned a page in her book. "And there is no reason to assume that a beast not seen in millennia could harm the worthy students? Such as our son? Is it a human-eating beast?"

Draco gulped as he pressed his back against the wall. He twisted his hands together, running the fingers of his left hand over the silver crested heir ring on his right hand. " _A beast to get rid of people? Even if they are Mudbloods, they don't deserve to be eaten! I have to do something..._ "

Draco bolted down the hall as quietly as he could, his parents none-the-wiser about his eavesdropping.

"Dobby," Draco whispered as he closed the door to his room.

"Master—" Dobby started to greet his one nice master loudly before Draco covered his mouth with his hands.

"Quietly, Dobby!" Draco's frantic shushing startled the odd elf.

"Master Draco, is you being alright?" Dobby asked when Draco removed his hands.

"No, Dobby, I'm not alright." The twelve-year-old paced back and forth, wringing his hands in frustration. He twisted his silver heir ring around and around his finger as he thought about what he overheard.

"Can Dobby be helpings?"

"Dobby, I need you to keep a secret, okay? Can you do that for me- not telling Father _or_ Mother?"

Dobby stared at his favorite wizard and finally nodded slowly. "I cans," he said solemnly.

"Father is going to unleash the Beast of Slytherin. I need to find out what it is and figure out a way to let the teachers know what it is. Can you help me?"

Dobby nodded and prepared to snap away back to the kitchen.

"Wait! One more thing…" Draco leaned forward and whispered, "I think Father means for Harry Potter to die because of the beast. Help protect him, Dobby. Harry can't come back to Hogwarts if we don't find the information."

Dobby grimaced and nodded his head, ears flapping warily. "Dobby does as Master Draco says."

The elf snapped his fingers and vanished.

Draco collapsed on his bed as he thought about his father's words. " _Maybe if I steal the item, I can keep it from being used. Except that I don't know what the item is. Or where it is hidden. I could see if Dobby can snatch it, but I don't want Father to punish him again. Dobby is_ _ **my**_ _elf, my_ _ **friend**_ _. I don't want him hurt._ "

With those thoughts, Draco curled up and went to sleep. His late night wanderings about Malfoy Manor had brought him information and a chill in his heart.

* * *

Two weeks later, Draco and Dobby still had no luck in finding information. Draco had, in a fit of desperation, sent Dobby to do what he could to make Harry not _want_ to return to Hogwarts.

The news that Dobby took that to mean stealing Harry's mail shook him a bit, but he finally took it in stride as he kept on his researching binge to find out more information on Slytherin's Beast. He _did_ , however, tell his elf not to punish himself again when he saw that the small being had ironed his hands for being seen and speaking to Harry. The cruelty that Dobby endured due to Draco's father was sickening to Draco. He refused to be a part of it.

"He didn't listen to your warning, did he, Dobby?" Draco questioned as he flipped through yet another book in search of answers.

"No, Master Draco. Harry Potter is saying he is going to Hogwarts no matter what Dobby does!" Dobby pulled on his ears in shame.

"Stop that, Dobby. Come and help me read these books instead." Draco patted the empty chair beside him and slid a couple of books over for the elf to look at.

* * *

A few days later, the Malfoy family went to Diagon Alley to get Draco's school supplies. He quickly conned his mother into getting his robes, and his father into getting his potions ingredients as he headed to Flourish and Blotts to check out their used and rare books section on the upper level. He spent nearly an hour unimpeded by other customers as everyone else in the store was clamoring over the blond pompous fiction writer on the ground floor.

"Dobby, come quietly," Draco whispered.

Dobby popped in near silently at his Master's side. "Master Draco?" Dobby asked, looking around in interest.

"Look around and see if you can find anything. I'm going to the other side and we'll meet in the middle, okay?"

"Yes!"

Twenty minutes later, Dobby pulled on Draco's sleeve with a terrified look on his face. "Master Draco, sir…"

Dobby handed Draco a book with a page marked in it. Draco's silver eyes locked onto the dull green book with faded gold lettering with apprehension.

Draco took a shuddering breath when his eyes fell on the marked page describing a horrible creature that no one should _ever_ have to face. "Basilisk...no. Father wouldn't dare!" Draco whispered to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to close the book. "Dobby, are you sure this is it?"

Dobby nodded vigorously and hugged Draco's leg as he eyed the book with loathing.

Draco looked around and seeing they were alone, ripped the page out of the book and shoved it in his pocket. He hugged the little elf before getting him to take a step back.

Draco hurriedly replaced the book on the shelf and made his way downstairs after telling Dobby to go home. "Be safe, Dobby. Don't let Father catch you here!"

Hopefully, his pre-planning would be enough to save his classmates. Even if he didn't like them, it didn't mean his heart was so withered and small that he didn't know they deserved a chance at survival. They all had family or friends that loved them and would miss them in death.

He glanced up as he saw Harry and his tag-along friends enter the bookstore. He patted his pocket to assure himself of the information he had stolen and took a deep breath. It was time to put on his game face and not show anyone that he had a heart beneath his  
"pureblood superiority" exterior. After all, who would believe a Slytherin capable of love or care for anyone, much less the entire population of the castle of Hogwarts?


	7. R4 Bonus

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Four Bonus  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Bonus (1000-3000 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Crossover with:] Bones, [Character] Dudley Dursley, [Action] Chasing  
** **Word count: 1302 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Magi**

 **Notes: AU Crossover, OOC!Harry, Good!Dudley (Spot the Marvel Reference for cookies!)**

 **Meetings Abound**

Dudley took three steps backward and ducked behind the door as he heard Temperance Brennan start yelling at their resident agent.

"Stop talking, Booth! You are being completely asinine!" Doctor Brennan demanded as she headed toward Angela's workspace.

Dudley grabbed Zack's arm as he moved to leave the safe haven of the bone room. "You really _don't_ want to go out there right now. Doctor Brennan sounds like she's gonna rip Agent Booth a new one. Personally, I like being able to work with her… but she is entirely off her rocker."

Zack looked at his British teammate in confusion. "Doctor Brennan is brilliant! There is nothing to indicate that she's 'off her rocker' as you so eloquently put it."

Dudley released Zack's arm with a shrug. "Suit yourself, mate. I've got a backlog that I need to sort out, yeah?"

Zack eyed Dudley warily. "Okay then. I'm going to see if Doctor Brennan needs my assistance with anything."

Dudley winced in sympathy. The poor kid had been trying for months to get the leading forensic anthropologist of the Jeffersonian Institution to give him any kind of acknowledgment. "Good luck, kid. I've got plenty here that you can help with if she runs you away."

Zack just nodded and left the room.

Dudley sighed as he looked at the stack of files he had been trying to finish before his attempt at escape only a few minutes prior. He glanced at his watch and frowned. "Ten minutes until…"

Dudley shook his head and made sure the sign on his door still read he'd return after lunch. He closed and locked up the bone room after adding a note telling Zack how to contact him at the bottom of his sign.

Dudley ducked as Agent Booth turned to look out the window of the office he and Doctor Brennan were arguing in. He had zero need to get dragged into that mess when he was going to be late to a meeting of his own.

"Booth!" Temperance growled again. "Why are you chasing down leads on magic? Magic has never, does not, and will never exist!"

Seeley shrugged. "It's the only thing that makes sense, Bones."

"Don't call me that!"

Seeley sighed. "Fine, I'll go ask someone else to help with the case."

Before he could move, Zack Addy came through the door. He crossed his arms and stared down at the kid.

"Hello, Doctor Brennan, Agent Booth. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

Seeley had turned to look out of the office window in irritation while ignoring Temperance's tantrum. As he watched, the twitchy British man glanced up and saw him through the glass. The man ducked and caused Seeley's eyes to narrow with a hint of dislike. The man looked normal enough, but there was just something that-

Temperance threw up her hands. "I have nothing for you today, Doctor Addy, and Booth," she glared at the tall man, "was just leaving."

Seeley snorted. "See ya, kid. Bye, Bones. I'll see you when I have a more 'normal' case for you."

He opened the door and headed in the same direction the smaller British man had headed, not quite chasing him, but still in pursuit.

Dudley made his way out of the Jeffersonian and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see anyone following him. He walked a couple blocks away, then veered into a local park to sit on a bench. He leaned his head back and waited at the last few seconds counted down. "Five, four, three-"

"What are you counting down for?" Agent Booth asked as he sauntered over to Dudley's bench.

Dudley bolted up. "What are- You can't-"

A cheerful voice cut into Dudley's rant with a happy call of "Dudley!"

Dudley dropped his head into his hands as he groaned. "Hullo, Harry. How was your _flight_?"

Harry glanced at the imposing man before giving him a thorough once-over. "Fine, as always. Who's this? He bothering you?"

Dudley just dropped his hands and groaned in frustration. "All I wanted was a peaceful day, but you had to ruin it by setting off Doctor Brennan, and _following_ me like I'm some sort of _criminal_! What is your problem?"

Harry narrowed his gaze and stepped forward. "Are you stalking my cousin, _sir_?" Harry questioned acidically.

"What- No!" Seeley took a step back as he suddenly felt much more threatened by the small man.

"Then _go. Away._ " Harry intoned. "My cousin is an upstanding person on a work visa to one of the most prestigious Institutions that the Colonies offer. You are insulting him by being so distrusting of him."

Seeley growled, "Now look here, I'm a Federal Agent-"

Harry sneered and pulled out a badge declaring him as part of the Special Forces Division of the FBI. "I think my rank is higher than yours, Colonizer."

Seeley glared at the black-haired menace. "I'll-"

"No, you won't, Agent Booth. I'm well aware of what you think you know, and you could not possibly be further from the truth without visiting the moon." Harry turned his back on the seething agent and faced his cousin. "Dudley, can we go elsewhere since that wanker seems to think he can butt in on our conversation?"

Dudley nodded mutely and started to walk away from the pair. Before he made it past the bench he had been seated on, Booth had grabbed Harry's arm.

"Release me, or I'll have you extradited to a place you've never heard of and can never escape, No-Maj." Harry bit out as he turned flashing green eyes onto startled brown ones.

"No-Maj? You're a wizard!" Seeley yelped as he released the small man and backed away with his hands raised.

"Now he gets it," Harry muttered.

Dudley just watched Booth fearfully. "He _knows_ , Harry! Why does he know?"

"He either has a magical spouse, magical child, or high enough clearance level to know." Harry shrugged. "It also should warn him that I know what I'm doing when I promise to send him to the pits of hell if he doesn't back off."

"Harry Potter!" Dudley yelped. "You can't just threaten-"

"Potter?" Booth questioned, as he went nearly white in fear.

"Aw, hell," Harry groaned. "It's the clearance level then. Let's just go, Dudley. Daisy gave me several letters for you and a Pensieve memory that I can show you so you can see how she's doing in school."

Dudley nodded and started walking.

Seeley stood in mute awe as the most dangerous person on the planet talked cheerfully to the man he had come to dislike just for being different. "Doctor Dursley," he called out before the two got too far away from him.

The man in question flinched as he glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, Agent Booth?" Resignation dripped from his tone.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting toward you. I'll try to be better, now that I know why I was on edge."

Green eyes bore straight into brown as the wizard contemplated the agent while his cousin stood next to him, wringing his hands.

"See that you do, Agent Booth, or I'll have you redacted." The wizard grinned brightly and looped his arm through his cousin's. "Come on, Dudley. Daisy's letters await!"

Dudley let himself be dragged along, as he mentally wrote up an apology for vanishing from work for half a day instead of half an hour. ' _Oh, well. At least I know my job will still be there in the morning._ ' Dudley thought to himself. He smiled at something Harry said about his daughter, Daisy, and let his worries drop from his shoulders. He knew that Agent Booth wouldn't be chasing after him anymore on false accusations if he didn't want to have his cousin visit again.


	8. R6 Drabble

**A/N**

 **The Houses Competition**

 **Round Six**

 **House: Hufflepuff**

 **Student: Year 5**

 **Category: Drabble (200-750 Words)**

 **Prompt(s): [Speech] "You weren't supposed to see that,"**

 **Word count: 708 (Per Google Docs)**

 **Beta(s):**

 **Notes:**

 **An Act of Kindness**

Harry hadn't gone to the Quidditch match. He hadn't gone anywhere for the summer due to  
Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia refusing to allow him to have any kind of fun. Uncle Vernon had planned for Harry's last night at #4 Privet Drive to be a lesson in humiliation.

Harry barely made it to the platform in time to catch the Hogwarts Express. He slid into an empty compartment and put privacy spells up to avoid his friends.

The welcoming feast was an exercise in masking his pain. Harry avoided being touched, and ignored all attempts at conversation. He sighed in relief when they were dismissed to bed.

Harry snuck into the loo early the first day back to Hogwarts. He wanted to take a shower without anyone seeing his uncle's parting gift to him.

He flinched as the water hit his sore back. He'd tried to tell Madam Pomfrey his first and second years, but she didn't listen to him. He didn't try his third year and didn't even give it a thought this year.

He shuddered as the temperature adjusted to his preferences and the marks on his back were soothed. He washed his hair slowly so as not to pull the fragile new scabs off and cause himself to bleed again.

He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his hips. He moved to the sink where he'd left his clothes and placed his head against the mirror.

A startled gasp made Harry twist and let out his own gasp.

"Harry, what happened?" Neville asked as his hands shook.

Harry just shook his head. "You weren't supposed to see that. None of you were. Don't tell, Neville."

"But someone _did_ that to you!" Neville stepped forward and reached out to Harry. "No one had the right to hurt you, Harry. I can get Gran to help you if the professors aren't listening."

Harry flinched out of Neville's reach.

Neville dropped his hands with a rueful smile. "I know what it's like to be hurt by someone who should care about you, Harry. You can come to me at _any_ time."

Harry wrapped his arms around his bare torso and took a shuddering breath.

Neville just nodded his head and took a step back. "I'll leave now. I'm sorry I scared you. I'll keep the others from coming in until you come out, okay?"

Harry nodded and Neville left the loo to run interference with their dorm mates.

Harry shook himself when he was alone once more. He pulled his clothes on as he mumbled to himself, "You weren't supposed to see that. Neville wasn't supposed to know how weak I am."

Harry scrubbed his hair with a towel. "Neville saw me at my weakest… he knows that the Muggles are hurting me."

Harry dropped the towel in the hamper and left to see Neville marshaling the others into order. "Loo's free."

Dean, Seamus and Ron bolted into the bathroom, leaving Harry with Neville once more.

"I don't think you're weak. You know that, right, Harry?" Neville questioned as he watched Harry fidget where he stood.

"I know. Doesn't stop me from _feeling_ weak though," Harry responded.

Neville nodded. "I was the same way when Uncle Algie would hurt me to induce accidental magic. Gran nearly killed him when she saw him throw me out the third floor window when I was seven."

Harry froze. "He threw you out a window?"

"Yeah, but when I bounced instead of splattering on the front walk, he stopped trying to force my magic."

Harry made a distressed noise as he took a few hesitant steps forward. "He hurt you?"

"Not as bad as some families do. It could have been worse."

Harry shook his head violently. "What's worse than being dropped from a window?!"

Neville stood and walked slowly to where Harry had frozen in his tracks. "I think you know," he stated softly. "Are you sure you don't want me to get Gran involved?"

Harry nodded, then shook his head. "I don't know."

Neville smiled softly, "Just let me know when you decide. Let's go down to breakfast before the others get out of their showers."

Harry blinked away the swift conversation change, then nodded. "Okay."


	9. R6 Standard

**A/N**

 **The Houses Competition**

 **Round Six**

 **House: Hufflepuff**

 **Student: Year 5**

 **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)**

 **Prompt(s): [Object] Cracked cauldron**

 **Word count: 759 (Per Google Docs)**

 **Beta(s):** Aya

 **Notes:**

 **Cracked**

As the lab safety spells activated to protect the room from imminent destruction, Severus Snape just stood in shock. He had not exploded a cauldron in over twelve years.

He watched the resulting explosion from behind the safety spells with growing horror. He swiftly brought up his wand to add several more layers to the safety spells after firing off a _Patronus_ to the Headmistress to get everyone cleared from the section of the castle he was in. Luckily, it was the summer break so he should only be endangering a handful of elves and one other professor.

He winced as the explosion strained against his shields.

"Come on, come on, come on! What had such an adverse reaction to cause an _expounding_ explosion? This should have already started to dissipate!"

"Severus?" Minerva crept into the lab and immediately added her own shields to the weakening ones already in place. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Minerva! Nothing should have caused this reaction! We need a third to help us vanish the concoction and hopefully I won't be the cause of the destruction of Hogwarts."

Minerva grunted and called an elf to grab Filius.

When the elf popped Filius into the room, he took one look at the mess and used a goblin spell to cancel out everything on the inside of the shield. The resulting release on the inside of the shield made Severus and Minerva stumble and fall into each other.

"So," Filius stated mildly, "Why did you use damaged equipment to work a potion, Severus?"

Severus tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean damaged equipment? I _never_ use damaged equipment when creating a potion."

"Really." Filius' tone was flat as he moved to dispel the remaining shields and stepped up to the mostly undamaged table. "What do you call this?"

Severus stepped up to Filius' side and surveyed the item that he was indicating.

"Wha- How- Someone sabotaged my lab!" Severus snarled as he took in the cracked cauldron that had started the whole mess to begin with.

Minerva jumped at the sudden shout and looked at the cauldron in question. "How would anyone sabotage your lab, though, Severus? Don't you have advanced security spells to keep people out without your permission to enter?"

"Well, yes, but- I _always_ check my equipment the day before I attempt a new potion, and lock down the room so no one can ruin my set-up. This particular potion needed sterilized equipment with neutral properties. I don't understand…"

Severus ran his hands over the several small cracks running the bottom of the cauldron with calloused fingers. "This should have never been possible."

"Well, let us try to narrow down the suspects for attempting your murder, Severus."

Severus flinched violently and looked at Filius with wide eyes. "Murder?"

"If I hadn't had a goblin spell to dispel the explosion, the entirety of Hogwarts could have been shaken to its' foundations. You, in particular, would have been reduced to ashes."

Severus blanched. "Only the Professors and three apprentices have access to my personal labs, Filius. The apprentices are home for the holidays and the only new professor is the Muggle Studies Professor. Why would he want to kill me?"

Filius eyes the younger man thoughtfully. "Maybe we should ask him."

"Filius," Minerva gasped. "Surely, you don't think that he would try to kill Severus like that!"

Filius shrugged. "Only one way to find out, and that is to question the man and see what he says. I am sure I can get a vial of _Veritaserum_ to help the questioning along."

Severus clenched his hands as he surveyed the damage done to his labs. "I keep a stock of _Veritaserum_ in my private stores in my room."

Filius nodded. "My password still works?"

"Yes."

"I'll be back, then." Filius turned to the Headmistress. "Minerva, it needs to be done. I won't allow someone to get away with attempted murder."

Minerva wrung her hands, then nodded. "Do what you need to, Filius. I will back you if the Aurors come calling."

Filius nodded sharply and left the room. It was time to put his goblin training to the test. It had been a while - since he had trained with the goblin warriors at Gringotts, actually - since he had to use cunning and wiles to save one co-worker from another. He grinned viciously as he marched to Severus' rooms. "No one is going to kill my favorites. Not on my watch, and definitely not because of cracked cauldrons and poorly thought out plans."


	10. R7 Short

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Seven  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Short (1500-3000 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Speech] "Mimicry may be the highest form of flattery, but mockery is just an insult,"  
** **Word count: 2014 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Magi**

 **Notes: AU Fourth Year**

 **Forging New Alliances**

Draco walked down the silent corridors of his home, looking through open doorways and into empty rooms as he thought. He dragged his school bag from its strap beside his leg as he wandered. He only had a few short moments before his father would take him to the platform to start his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Master Draco, sir. Master Malfoy is being waiting at the floo! You is being ready to go to schoolsy now, yes?" Draco's elf wrung its hands as it waited for his response.

Draco's shoulders slumped and he nodded. "I suppose I am, Mimsy. If I forgot anything, give it to Mother to send to me, alright? Father won't wait for me to make one last look through my rooms."

"Yes, Master Draco, sir! I bes looking for your things!" Mimsy snapped its fingers and disappeared with a short pop.

Draco squared his shoulders as he slung his bag onto his shoulder to secure it for travel. "Time to face the masses," he muttered mutinously as he went to the Floo room.

"Father, I am ready," he stated more loudly as he walked in the doorway.

"Hurry up, Draconis. I've a meeting in an hour that I cannot be late for," Lucius responded. The elder Malfoy reached up to the mantle and pulled down the Floo dish. "Hogwarts Train Platform, Draconis."

"Yes, Father," Draco replied as he reached into the dish to extract a small bit of powder. "Hogwarts Train Platform!" With the firm enunciated shout and the drop of the powder, Draco spun away from Malfoy Manor.

Seconds after Draco stepped out of the hearth, he took three steps to the left and awaited his father's arrival. The stately Lord Malfoy stepped out of the hearth in pristine condition and flicked his wand at the Malfoy heir to dispose of the ashes still clinging to his travel robe.

They walked nearer to the train. Lucius cast a discreet Notice-Me-Not Spell around them before he spoke.

"Have a good term at Hogwarts, Draconis. I shall see you at the Winter Holidays. Do not get into any more mischief due to the Potter boy." Lucius' gaze fell harshly on the unkempt Potter heir as he fell through the entry from the Muggle side of the train station. "I don't want to hear _anything_ saying you were antagonizing him or _instigating_ confrontations. I _will_ be keeping a lookout for owls from _all_ of your teachers, not just Severus. You are the heir of Malfoy and that means you need to hold yourself to a higher standard. Am I understood?" Molten silver eyes shifted to gaze at a similar pair as Draco took in his father's words.

Draco started to complain, but swallowed the words back and nodded. "I understand, Father. What should I do if _he_ starts something?"

"From your letters home in previous years, it seems that Weasley is the main antagonist in your meetings. Maybe you should try to meet the Potter boy alone, _without_ drawing wands, and see if your offer of friendship can be extended again, and accepted?"

Lucius watched the ragtag group of redheaded menaces surrounding the short black-haired boy. "The mudblood is also useful if your complaints about her grades are based in fact."

Draco blanched. "She _punched_ me like a ruffian last year!"

"And she could be a valuable ally if you can temper your rage against her and bring her to see that our traditions must be upheld. If nothing else, the world _is_ changing and we need all the help we can get. She saves the Potter boy on a regular basis and is exceptionally bright. She can help save our world even if the Dark Lord does make a reappearance. We need not follow a madman if we can get on the side of the Light."

Draco blinked and suddenly had a clarifying thought. "You think the Da- that _He_ is coming back! You don't want to follow him anymore?" Draco's sudden confusion at his second statement brought Lucius to look at his son in contemplation.

"He was driven to madness at the end of his reign of terror. In the beginning, he wanted to preserve our world, but near the end, he wanted to destroy us all...purebloods, half-bloods, Muggle-born- it didn't matter. If he does come back, it will be that same madness-driven shell of a man. I will _not_ subject you to his cruelties. The easiest way would be for you to befriend the girl and the Potter boy. If you can find a way to end the feud between the Malfoy and Weasley families, it would be another boon in our favor. Now," Lucius stopped as he heard the five-minute whistle to embark the train.

"I am late for my meeting, and you cannot miss the train. I shall see you in a few months, Draconis. Be safe." Lucius clapped Draco's shoulder and turned to head for the Floos once more. As he stepped away, the Notice-Me-Not faded.

Draco winced when he heard Pansy screech his name and braced himself for impact. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard his father reprimand the annoying girl about her decorum and took the chance afforded him to sneak onto the train and into an unclaimed compartment.

Draco faced the window, with his feet on the bench and his back to the door as the train started its final preparations for departures. A few moments later, the train lurched and began the journey to Hogwarts. He drifted into a light doze as the train rocked gently.

The door to his compartment slamming open as someone cursed loudly shocked him into falling off his seat. If looked up with wide eyes into shocked green eyes hidden behind hideous wireframes. "Po-" Draco coughed. "Potter, I haven't even done an-anything to you yet this year! Come to start attacking me before I get the chance now?"

Harry sighed heavily as he glanced back into the hallway. His eyes widened and he stepped over the fallen Malfoy and closed the door. He flipped the lock, then looked at the boy still laying on the floor. "Come on, then," Harry offered, sticking his hand out to help Draco off the floor.

Draco stared at the hand in his face. "Mimicry may be the highest form of flattery, but mockery is just an insult," Draco scooted back from the Potter heir and leaned against the closed and locked door. "It is kind of an insult to offer a hand, even to help one off the floor, after so brusquely denying my hand when we started school."

Harry yanked his hand back as if scalded. "I didn't know, Malfoy."

Draco sighed and lurched to his feet. "If you do not intend to offer friendship with the offer of help, it is an insult. If you look beyond our past altercations and can find it in you to extend an olive branch and the possibility of friendship, it is mimicry and highly appreciated as I was going to try once more to be your friend this year."

Harry sat heavily on the seat opposite of where Draco had been sleeping. "Well…" Harry suddenly grinned, "I can help you get by in Care of Magical Creatures, if you'll help me with Ancient Runes so I can switch courses next year. Hermione said you're really good at them...even better than her!"

Draco blinked then smiled softly. "I can do that, but I don't think your friends would take too kindly to it."

Harry shrugged. "Ron has been steadily getting more jealous of me, so I'm avoiding him at the moment. Ginny thinks you are cute and if you weren't a Malfoy, I think she would ask you out. George and Fred would likely think it the greatest prank ever to befriend the 'Prince of Slytherin', and Hermione...she wants to know your study habits so she can get ahead of you in Runes. I think she'd be fine with it if we were to start studying together. We could probably turn the school on its ear if we were to sit together for a meal." Harry got a sly look on his face. "Do you think Snape would blow his top if I told him I was meant to be a Slytherin?"

Draco sputtered, "You! A Slytherin! No _way_ are you telling me the truth!"

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "The Hat wanted me in Slytherin, but...well, you had insulted Hagrid the first time we met, then Ron when I had just become friends with hm. I was afraid that my status as a poor student would make you pick on me next if I were to share a dorm with you. Turned out I just needed to be me for the fights to start."

Draco winced. "I was insulted that you chose someone my family has been feuding with for nearly two centuries over myself as a friend. I figured...if you weren't my friend, I was your enemy."

Harry shook his head."We're too young to have enemies, Draco."

Draco gaped at Harry. "You called me by my name!"

"Should I not have?"

"No, no! It's fine, just- you've never done it before. Can I call you 'Harry'?"

"Of course. I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," Harry grinned as he flipped the lock on the door to allow Ginny and the twins into the compartment. He slid down the seat to allow the others to sit near the door. "Lock it and close the blinds, George."

George pouted. "How do you always know which twin we are? Even Mum doesn't get it!"

"Trade secret!" Harry winked, then mouthed to Draco, ' _I'll tell you later_.'

Draco watched the three Weasleys with trepidation. "Weasleys."

Ginny rolled her eyes and plopped onto the seat next to the Malfoy heir. "Relax, Bleachie. We're here to start the greatest revolution in Hogwarts history!"

Draco stared at the lone Weasley female in admonishment. "My hair is naturally this light." He added under his breath, but not quietly enough, "Stupid veela genes. Not supposed to be that prominent in males."

Ginny snorted. "Veela, Draco?"

Draco froze, then turned wary eyes on the entire compartment. "You can't tell! People are...violent." He shuddered as he thought of stories his father had told him when he was younger.

George and Fred looked at Draco in sympathy. "We've magical creature blood as well. Besides, Ginny _knows_ not to spread rumors."

Ginny nodded. "I'll tell you a secret so you know I won't tell yours?"

Draco nodded mutely.

"I was the one to open the Chamber in your Second Year. Your father had slipped an extra book in my cauldron after he and our dad fought in Flourish and Blotts. It possessed me. I had to retake my exams over the summer to advance in grade because I missed too much time from the possession."

Draco blanched. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I'm sure Father will agree with me when I offer recompense for your suffering."

Ginny nodded. "I've appointments with the mind healers, but the visits are getting too expensive to keep. If you could help with them…"

"We'd be grateful," the twins continued as Ginny faded off. "We're helping as we can, but our jokes only sell for so much."

Draco nodded sharply. "I'll write to Father as soon as we get to Hogwarts."

Harry laughed. "Maybe once you get to your dorm, so your housemates aren't nosy about it?"

Draco blushed. "But we'll sit together for breakfast tomorrow to stir up trouble, correct?"

The twins grinned and Ginny and Harry laughed. "Of course. It's time we changed things at Hogwarts!"

The five students had no way of knowing just how much they were going to change things once Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire and he had true backers helping him to get out of false contracts. Surprisingly, or not, for those who knew him, Lucius Malfoy was a valiant fighter for Harry's cause.


	11. R7 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Seven  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Pairing] George Weasley/ Luna Lovegood; Includes a letter or a note.  
** **Word count: 944 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Trish, Magi**

 **Notes: Slight AU - Weasley twins only one year older than Ron, and two older than Ginny and Luna**

 **Half A Chance**

Fairy lights lit the courtyard as Luna danced her way around the various shrubs and stone benches. She jumped onto one of the benches and danced a few steps, then turned, lifted to her tiptoes, and reached as if she was trying to capture one of the lights.

She sank back to flat feet and jumped from the bench, continuing her single waltz. The bell tolling the warning to curfew rang and she sighed softly. She bent over and grabbed her bag and robe from where she had deposited them beneath a bench.

Her time of normalcy was drawing to a close. She only acted the way she did to keep others from figuring out she is a true Seer. Many would use her callously or try to hurt her intentionally if they found out.

"Time to face the trolls," she huffed as she slid her robe on. Luckily, the twins had returned to school after Umbridge left the year before. She didn't know if she'd have been able to survive another year of merciless bullying without George, and Fred when he caught it, stepping up to put a stop to it.

Luna meandered through the corridors to the Ravenclaw dorms. When she finally made it to her room- thankfully Fifth Year and up got their own rooms with passwords and wards to keep out anyone without express permission- she flopped onto her bed.

* * *

The following morning, Luna rolled over in an attempt to go back to sleep when she realized she awoke before dawn. She let out a grunt when her face landed on parchment instead of her pillow.

"What in the world?"

Luna sat up and held the parchment as if it would bite her. She grabbed her wand and cast several revealing spells to assure herself that it was safe. Once sure of the letter, she opened it to read what it said.

 _Luna,_

 _I know that it seems suspicious to send this letter as you sleep._

 _I wanted to let you know that your dancing is mesmerizing._

 _Your grace and dignity when under fire from your peers is unmatched._

 _Your courage when you stand up to bullies is unparalleled._

 _Your intelligence leaves me breathless._

 _I wish I had had the courage before to get to know you better._

 _If you feel you can meet me to speak face-to-face, please wear your blue sweater and butterbeer cork necklace to breakfast today. I'll come find you._

 _Your Admirer_

Luna cocked her head to the side. "It's Sunday, so we're allowed to wear our own clothes. I suppose it couldn't be any worse than my last 'Secret Admirer', considering they didn't even bother to show up that time."

She dressed in the requested sweater, paired with trainers and jeans. She slipped her cork necklace on and put her radish earrings in.

"Time to see if they mean it," she whispered.

She made it down to the Great Hall and sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table. She had only been seated for a few minutes when another plopped into the seat in front of her. She looked up from her empty plate and stared in confusion as her blue eyes locked on warm brown.

"Hello, Luna," George said softly as he gazed at her.

"George," Luna responded. "Where is Fred? You two are normally joined at the hip."

George grinned. "You know which twin I am?"

Luna cocked her head with a frown. "Can't everyone tell you apart? It's obvious that you are George."

George laughed joyously. "Even our own Mum can't tell us apart. You really are the perfect girl."

Luna frowned. "I thought you were better than the rest. That you wouldn't make fun of me. I'm waiting for someone, please leave." The hurt was obvious in her voice as she turned to start filling her plate.

George shook his head and reached across the table as he stood, "Luna, no- I only meant- I was the one to send the letter!"

His outburst caused several students and all of the professors present to turn to watch the display.

"You are causing a scene," Luna whispered in the sudden silence.

"I know, but- You have to know that I am sincere. I know that I'm a prankster and that no one takes me or my brother seriously, but Luna- I truly meant what I wrote."

Luna huffed as she looked up at the still towering twin. "Sit down."

George sat heavily in his seat as he watched Luna avidly.

"Start talking. If I don't believe you are sincere before I leave this table, we will speak of this no more." Luna lifted her fork and started to eat.

George launched into his explanation for his letter and how, ever since they were children when Luna would come over to play with Ginny, the girl had captured his heart. It was well past breakfast, and nearing lunch, before George finished speaking. Neither had noticed the absence of the student body, nor the chaperone of the Runes Professor sitting at the head table working on grading assignments.

When George fell silent, Luna finally looked up at his hopeful expression. "I will give you a chance," she said softly.

George let out a whoop, startling the professor. "Thank you, Luna! I swear, I will treat you like the princess you are!"

Luna snorted. "Unnecessary, but I will expect you to follow me on hunting expeditions. Daddy and I have one scheduled for the Spring Holiday."

George nodded as he rounded the table. He lifted Luna into a hug. "I would go on thousands of expeditions just because you gave me half a chance."


	12. R9 Short

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Nine  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Short (1500-3000 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Object] Mason Jar  
** **Word count: 1841 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya  
** **Notes:**

 **Changing Style**

Daphne Greengrass watched the Beauxbaton contingent float through the Great Hall after Headmaster Dumbledore introduced them. With a thoughtful frown, she contemplated their uniforms. The Durmstrang students were too bundled up to get a good look at their uniforms, but she assumed that being closer to the Arctic Circle meant that their clothes had to be made of heavier materials.

Daphne perused the Beauxbaton students and took in the minor differences in the neckerchief and the stylization on the sleeves of their shirts. The variations led her to believe that their school had allowed three years worth of students to come and try to compete in this "super famous and obviously important" Tournament, as she had overheard Draco Malfoy put it when he was bragging in their Common Room.

She sighed when she realized that the only difference in uniforms for her own school was the number and thickness of the stripes on her tie. Daphne shook her head and tried to pay attention to the Headmaster as he gave out information on the Goblet of Fire, and how no one under the age of seventeen would be allowed to enter. At hearing that bit of fluff, she glanced at the Gryffindor table and noticed that for some reason, Harry Potter actually looked relieved at the age restrictions. Her eyes narrowed as she saw him push Ron Weasley and told him in no uncertain terms that the Tournament was something he'd rather watch than participate in.

After the feast ended and the two visiting schools left the Great Hall and the school itself to head back to their modes of transport - apparently, they doubled as spacious accommodations - Daphne headed down to the dungeons to begin her sketches, and send an owl off with a request for a swatch book from Twilfit and Tattings.

 _This year should be fairly simple_ , the Greengrass heiress thought as she conjured a mason jar to hold all of her art pencils. She conjured a wide flat bow to hold her charcoals off to the side to avoid them smearing everything up. Her personal desk soon started to look like a war zone of pencil shavings and broken quills as she wrote down ideas, and furiously scratched them out. It was well after midnight before she finally went to sleep with a vague idea of what she wanted to accomplish in her head.

The next morning, She cast a few charms and left a note to let the elves know not to clean her mess as she wasn't finished with it yet. She did remember to set all her pencils back into her conjured mason jar before leaving so they wouldn't roll off of her desk onto the floor to disappear - as a courtesy to the House Elves.

She received the swatch book at breakfast with a bill. She put the requested amount in the pouch tied to the owl's leg and set to looking through her newest project book.

The day progressed slowly with Daphne basically powering through mindlessly as she focused her attention on the idea of new uniforms with a bit more diversity.

That night at dinner in the Great Hall, Headmaster Dumbledore once more took center stage as the Goblet of Fire started to make its final decisions for the Champions.

After Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff had been chosen to represent Hogwarts, Daphne turned back to finish her dessert. A startled gasp brought her attention back to the front as another slip of parchment shot out of the Goblet. Headmaster Dumbledore snatched it out of the air.

"Harry Potter… Harry Potter!" Headmaster Dumbledore glared at the boy in question.

Daphne jolted to her feet and the entire Great Hall turned to face her.

"Greengrass," Professor Snape said in the deadly silence of the Hall. "Sit down."

"Professor, Potter did not enter the competition!" Daphne retorted as she crossed her arms and refused to listen to the order given to her by her Head of House.

Potter stumbled to his feet as he was shoved by his Muggle-born sidekick.

"I didn't enter!"  
Potter growled at his friends. "Greengrass- how do I make them believe it?" He shifted his gaze to the Ravenclaws before focusing his gaze on Daphne once more.

"An oath on your magic would suffice," she stated with confidence. "It could possibly destroy the so-called contract at the same time and causing the person that did enter you to lose their magic instead of you."

The whole Hall turned back to the Greengrass heir in horror.

"What do you mean?" Tracey Davis asked as she stared at her best friend.

"My father is a lawyer. Magical Contracts use the magic of the one that initiates it, whether or not the name is their name or that of another." She turned back to Potter. "Swear on your magic that you did not enter and cast a spell after sealing your oath with the words 'So mote it be' in order to prove your claim and render your enemy harmless."

Potter stood for just a moment, then turned to the Head Table with a snarl. "I swear on my magic that I myself did not, nor did I ask anyone else to, enter my name into the Goblet of Fire. I refuse to take part in this Tournament as anything other than a spectator. So mote it be! _Expecto Patronum_!" A blaze of white light shot from his wand to end in a beautiful stag before the young wizard.

A strangled scream escaped from the Defence Professor as he fell to the floor, convulsing.

Daphne nodded in satisfaction at the outcome of the oath and turned to leave the Great Hall. She had no desire to see who tried to kill the Potter boy again. It was the same thing, different year, and all she really wanted to do was get back to her designs. She hoped to present her ideas to the Board of Governors at the First Task if there was even going to be a Tournament at all now. If not, she could always just ask her father to pass them on to his friends on the Board.

It wasn't until Tracey came into their shared dorm room that she even had a clue that the fervor had died down. She had been diligently working on her designs for nearly two hours by that point. Several swatches had been pulled from the book and attached to each page she had completed to offer different materials for uniform use. She pulled one pencil from her mason jar to drop it back in and grab a stick of charcoal instead. The process of mason jar to box and back had been happening more frequently the last thirty minutes or so as she came near to finishing one of the Year's uniform.

"Daphne," Tracey called as she walked in. "You'll never believe what happened!"

"The person that entered Potter got his just desserts and lost his magic?" Daphne stated distractedly as she put the finishing touches on the Third Year male uniforms.

"Well, yes, but it was Bartemius Crouch Junior who put his name in, Daphne! Do you realize what this means?"

"It means my father will be busy building a case against Crouch Senior since his son supposedly died in Azkaban within a short time of his mother dying. I would assume that the person that died in Azkaban was actually Mrs. Crouch and that they somehow - probably polyjuice - switched places." Daphne pulled a fresh sheet of parchment out and started on the Fourth Year female designs, pulling a newly sharpened black pencil out of the mason jar.

"What? But how - you weren't even there for the questioning, but you got every detail-" Tracey stuttered to a stop.

"Of course I did, Tracey," Daphne groused as she set her pencil down and turned to face her friend. "Father is training me every summer and on Hogsmeade weekends to take over the family practice. I have to have an analytical mind to be able to prosecute wrong-doers before the Wizengamut if needed. It doesn't take much thought to extrapolate that Crouch Senior had to have something to do with his Death Eater son's escape from Azkaban if Crouch Junior was sitting at the Head Table tonight. Now, do you have anything to add that I didn't already say, or can I go back to what I was doing?"

"Uh, just that the other Houses believe Potter about not entering, but the Weasley idiot still thinks he must have done something." Tracey sat on her bed and watched Daphne as she started to laugh.

"Oh, Weasley's brothers and sister will set him straight. One can literally not lie in a magical oath without losing their magic. Obviously, the youngest Weasley male is too stupid to realize it without outside intervention. As for everyone else believing Potter, it's about time. If _I_ could figure it out, the Professors should have been able to as well. Just goes to show we need new blood in charge."

"New blood?"

"Younger staff. Having an actual Muggle-born or Muggle-raised teacher for Muggle Studies would be a start. I'll settle for having someone with a pulse teaching History of Magic though. Our OWLS are next year, and we need a real teacher in order to pass them with higher than an Acceptable. I'm going to speak to Father this weekend to ask him about getting new Professors for those two… and Defense Against the Dark Arts as well, since our Professor turned out to be a formerly dead Death Eater instead of the Auror we were promised. Now. I'm going back to my sketching, alright?"

Tracey nodded mutely and started to get ready for bed. "Try to get to sleep before midnight tonight, Daphne. Tomorrow should be a day full of intrigue."

Daphne snorted indelicately. "Yeah, sure. Good night, Tracey." She picked up her discarded pencil and replaced it in the mason jar. She decided that Fourth Year uniforms needed full-color lining on their robe pockets and so pulled out a blue pencil to start in on the Ravenclaw designs.

She didn't make it to bed before midnight but fell asleep at her desk with her head cushioned on the swatch book.

Tracey's prediction came true the next morning in that not only was the now squib Crouch Junior arrested, so to was the reporter Rita Skeeter for being an unregistered animagus, and Crouch Senior for facilitating in Crouch Juniors escape as well as extended use of an Unforgivable Curse. He had been holding Junior under the _Imperius_ since he had smuggled him out of Azkaban.

Daphne had to put her ideas on hold as she assisted her Father in building a case against the three arrestees. She didn't hold off for long though, and before the second term, everyone was wearing new uniforms, and looking better for it. Daphne knew she had a backup plan if it turned out Astoria wanted to take over the firm when she was older.


	13. R9 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Nine  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Pairing] Neville Longbottom/Hermione Granger  
** **Word count: 1170 (Per Google Docs)  
** **Beta(s): Aya  
** **Notes:**

 **Studying Makes It Easier**

After pulling several books from a few different shelves, Neville made his way to one of the tables in the library to get a headstart on the study session that Hermione had insisted on. Harry and Ron had decided that they had much better things to do since Hermione's cat had apparently killed Ron's rat.

They had started to shun Hermione even more once she had a broom confiscated from Harry when there was no name to indicate whom it had come from with the present. Neville thought she was perfectly justified in telling their Head of House about the broom since it was obvious that Harry didn't know where it came from. Unfortunately, they wouldn't listen to reason.

Neville shook his head clear of those thoughts and settled down to study. After about forty-five minutes of mind-numbing reading, he gave up.

"I just don't understand," Neville growled as he slammed his book closed in the library.

"Quiet in the library," Madam Pince hissed as she rounded the corner to glare at Neville.

"Yeah, fine," he stated sullenly as he stood and shoved his materials into his bag.

Madam Pince sniffed and turned away, glad of the fact the noisy child was leaving.

Neville glared at the librarian before he sighed and rearranged his things to fit properly into his bag.

He brought two books up to the front desk to check them out, then left the library to head down to the lake. It was still early so the Scottish cold hadn't quite made its way to the grounds, for which Neville was eternally grateful. He sat under a copse of trees near the water and tossed stones into the water. Finally, he settled enough to pull out his checked out library books and start studying. He had written maybe two paragraphs on his potions assignment before giving up and leaning back against a tree to doze. He woke up with a start when someone plopped down next to him.

"What-"

"Easy, Neville, it's just me," Hermione replied. She settled in more and pulled her own assignment out of her ever-present bag. "Are you ready to study some more?"

Neville groaned. "I hate potions, and Professor Snape doesn't make it any easier to learn."

"But you _are_ good at Herbology. Potion making is just an extension of Herbology. It's taking it one step further and turning plants into something that can help or hinder another wizard or witch."

Neville glared at the book in his lap as he processed what Hermione was saying.

"Look, studying makes it easier, but maybe we should get some practical application instead. How about we go talk to Professor Sprout about the differences in potency depending on how an ingredient is harvested? You know that blood forcibly taken and drunk by a wizard curses one to a half-life of an abomination, but did you know freely given blood could cure just about any ailment, much like phoenix tears?"

Neville looked at Hermione, startled. "Do you think...could freely given unicorn blood help a survivor of overexposure to the _Cruciatus Curse_?"

"I haven't heard anything regarding those circumstances specifically, but if it is truly freely given blood, it is a possibility that it could help." Hermione hedged against giving a full-positive answer since she had no viable proof of that scenario.

"Have you heard anything about mixing freely given unicorn blood _and_ phoenix tears together?" Neville asked, his voice tinged in desperation.

"I honestly haven't, Neville. I will look into it," Hermione hedged once more, trying not to get Neville's hopes up, but not wanting to crush them entirely either.

"I'll see if Luna can assist me in meeting the herd to ask for blood. I know they let her have strands of their hair, both mane and tail," Neville muttered softly.

Hermione pretended not to have heard his mumblings and foraged on.

"Now, practical application. Let's go see Professor Sprout. She's also a potions expert, while not being a Master such as Professor Snape, so we may be able to get her to supervise us on some practice potions. We can also ask her about combining phoenix tears and unicorn blood."

Neville nodded absentmindedly as he kept thinking about the possibility of getting his parents back. He smiled softly. _Maybe I_ _ **can**_ _get them back._

As the duo entered Greenhouse Two to find Professor Sprout, both were thinking about their previous discussion. Hermione with the thought in mind that she could be published before she turned fifteen, while Neville only thought of the fact that he may have his parents back by summer break.

Professor Sprout watched two of her favorite non-Hufflepuffs with a frown. Neither had noticed that she was right in front of them. They were both in deep thought and she could only assume that Professor Snape had once again gone after the gentle Gryffindor while his friend stuck up for him and got in trouble.

"Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger. How can I help you on a day off from classes?"

"Oh, Professor Sprout," Hermione jumped in surprise. "Well, we have some questions and were hoping you could clear the air on a few things."

Professor Sprout nodded. "Alright then, Let's head to Greenhouse One. My office is there, and there are no plants with minds of their own in that particular building."

The pair followed the Hufflepuff Head of House.

"Maybe now we can get some true learning done," Neville whispered.

Hermione nodded and patted Neville on the shoulder. "It'll all work out. You'll see."

Professor Sprout led Hermione and Neville to her office and sat down to one intense and overwhelming question and answer session, at the end of which she was shocked. She had known that Neville's parents had been harmed grievously at the end of the war, but had not been aware that the reason was extended exposure to the _Cruciatus Curse_. She took the information given by Hermione about freely given versus taken by force unicorn blood and agreed with her assessment. She then started writing down an Arithmantic equation to see what the result would be with phoenix tears and unicorn blood. The results were astounding. She called for her owl and sent her calculations to a friend with the Unspeakables.

"I believe you are correct, but I've sent for an expert to double check my work. Now. Was there anything else you wanted to work on today, or would you like to reschedule when I receive word back?" Professor Sprout watched Neville closely as the boy relaxed at the thought that his hopes might actually be realized.

"We'll come back, I think," Hermione responded as she stood up. "Come on Neville. I think we both need to have a bit of a walk."

Neville just followed Hermione with awe in his eyes. "Okay."

"Thank you, Professor Sprout," the two chimed as they left her office.

They had no idea that they would be taking the Wizarding World by storm a mere few weeks later.

End A/N: After going through this competition, I feel that it's not in my best interest to re-up next cycle. I've had way too many real-life issues popping up. Also, there's just too much favoritism going on, even though sometimes it was in my favor.


	14. R10 Drabble

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Ten  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Drabble (200-750 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Theme] War  
** **Word count: 380 (Per Google Docs)**

 **Notes: Torture**

 **Acts of War**

A scream of rage and horror rent the air as Bellatrix clutched her stomach. Her hand came away soaked in crimson. She paled dramatically, then came back twice as vicious against her opponent.

"Get out of our home, Death Eater!" Alice's voice was laced with venom as she continued to attack.

A gut-wrenching scream came from her right as her husband Frank was downed by the Lestrange brothers, and her momentary distraction proved her downfall.

As Bellatrix poured more power into the _Cruciatus_ curse she held on the woman, she swore her vengeance, "For killing my child, I will kill yours, Blood Traitor. I will see you, your stupid husband, your barmy mother-in-law, and your precious little baby dead, if it's the last thing I do!"

As she cast the spell, she held tightly to her damaged stomach and thought only of her revenge and how she got to this point.

The Potter brat had managed to send her Lord away, and no one on their side had any information on where he had gone, so Bellatrix, Barty, and her husband and brother-in-law had decided to continue the War as if it hadn't stopped. Other small cells in Voldemort's Army were doing the same.

She had only discovered her pregnancy a few weeks prior to this moment and was waiting for the right time to tell her husband, such as a crushing defeat of the Light. However, Alice Longbottom had killed her child before it even had a chance to take a breath. She would die for her actions.

As Bellatrix cut her curse off and stared dispassionately at the drooling, twitching, woman before her she tilted her head and let out an insane cackle. "Bitsy wittle Awice, no wonger howme. Time to go night-night for good, hmmm?" As she raised her wand to cast the killing curse, she slumped to the floor, quickly followed by her family members. Barty had been taken down at his guard point at the entrance to the house before he could yell for any of the Lestranges.

Alastor Moody and Augusta Longbottom looked on the room in horror. The War should have been over, but it was still going strong. The War had just claimed two more victims, even if they were still breathing.


	15. R10 Standard

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Ten  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Standard (750-1500 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Speech] "I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear - I'm not asking,"  
** **Word count: 1160 (Per Google Docs)**

 **Notes: I took a prompt from last round as well, since it follows with the additional requirements: [Event] Being re-sorted / Requesting a re-sorting. 4th Year. I won't do the over-exaggerated speech patterns for the visiting schools.**

 **Fight Fire**

Green eyes flashed in anger as their owner stood in front of the Head Table in the Great Hall.

Dumbledore tried to placate the irate boy. "Now now, Mr. Potter, surely there is some other way we can-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear - I'm not asking." He pointed at the Ravenclaw Table, his hand shaking with barely controlled rage. "Those _imbeciles_ \- I don't care how 'intelligent' they think they are- are bullying a thirteen-year-old girl. The entire house is in on it and I refuse to allow the same thing to happen to her, as is happening to me and _has happened since the first day I stepped foot into this castle_. If you don't re-sort her into a safer environment, then I will be _damned_ if I stay here a moment longer. I don't _care_ that breaking the contract with the Goblet will lose me my magic. _No one deserves to be treated worse than a House Elf_." He wrapped his arm around Luna, whom he had brought up before the Head Table.

"Harry?" Hermione's timid voice came from behind him. "You would really risk your magic over a re-sort?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and sneered at his Housemates before settling his gaze on his friend. "I would give anything I could, up to and including my life, to make sure no one has to go through what I have endured." He squeezed Luna gently to keep her from adding any input.

Hermione frowned but nodded. "Okay."

Harry turned back to the Head Table and noticed with grim glee that the visiting Headmaster and Headmistress were looking at him without their ever-present sneers in place. "Professor Flitwick, you are letting your students down. You are perpetuating the bullying of an underclassman by doing nothing to mitigate their actions. You are condoning their bullying because all the Prefects stand by and do nothing."

Harry ran his free hand through his hair and snarled, "No one gets punished for anything in this school unless it suits the purpose of _Headmaster_ Dumbledore."

Professor Flitwick blanched as one of his favorite students tore into him, but before he could respond to the allegations, Harry had turned his attention to another.

"Professor McGonagall, you are spread too thin. You are Deputy Head, Head of House Gryffindor, _and_ Transfiguration Professor. Tell me, Madam Maxime," he turned to the Beauxbaton Headmistress, "How many Professors do you have at Beauxbaton? I may need to transfer school once this farce of a Competition ends."

Madam Maxime frowned at the boy in front of her, but responded, "Each core subject has three professors, each dedicated to a set year group. One for first through third, one for fourth and fifth, and the last for sixth and seventh. We have an additional professor for each subject that is authorized to take on apprenticeships if they see potential in a student. Non-core subjects have two professors each as they are elective, and we have a list of people outside of the school to send the students to if they have the ability to become Masters in those crafts." She glanced at Professor McGonagall and added, "We also have separate posts for House Matrons and Deputy Head. We have enough staff, that taking the sixth and seventh years for this competition still left our school with enough personnel to run it with no issues."

"Thank you, Madam Maxime," Harry turned to Professor Sprout, causing the plump witch to sit up straighter. "Professor Sprout, you have been nothing but supportive of every student under your care, whether Hufflepuff or not, as far as I have seen. I honestly can't understand how anyone would want to be anything _other_ than a Hufflepuff with the obvious loyalty and dedication to do what is right that is prevalent in your House."

Professor Sprout smiled and nodded, "I admit, I was a tad upset you weren't one of my badgers when you were sorted, Mr. Potter. Miss Lovegood," she directed her next statement at the shoeless girl standing at Harry's side. "Miss Lovegood, I would be happy to take you into my House, if the Sorting Hat agrees."

Luna smiled at the Professor, "Thank you, ma'am."

Snape sneered at the duo and tried to get ahead of the rant Harry had in store for him. "Same show off attitude as your father, Potter. Always have to be the center of attention."

Harry laughed, "Of course, how could I forget you, Professor Snape. The bullying teacher that takes House Points for breathing, daring to turn a page too loudly, even for getting a potion _correct_ if the student in question is not a Slytherin. Tell me, Professor. How am I supposed to be like my father if all I remember of him is _telling my mother to grab me and run as he tried to hold Voldemort off from killing us_? Your school-boy grudge on a dead man makes you the most useless teacher in the school, _including_ the ghost that only teaches about goblin wars." Harry shook his head. "I'm glad I told the Sorting Hat 'not Slytherin' the first day here if _you_ are all I would have had to advocate for me. I pity the students under your express care."

Harry dropped his arm from Luna's shoulder and took a step forward. Now, once again, _Headmaster_. I'm sorry, I didn't make myself clear - I'm not asking, I'm telling you. Luna is being re-sorted, _now_."

At Harry's pronouncement, Fawkes flashed into the Great Hall with the Sorting Hat. "I told you, you were losing your touch, Dumbledore," The Hat crowed as he dropped from Fawkes claws and into Harry's hands.

Harry set the Hat on Luna's head and smiled as the Hat shouted, "Re-sort approved to HUFFLEPUFF!"

Ravenclaw sat in dead silence as Hufflepuff applauded lightly to the placement.

Luna lifted the Hat and stood on tiptoe to place the Hat on Harry's head. After a short talk with Harry, the Hat reiterated, "Re-sort approved to HUFFLEPUFF!"

This time, the Gryffindor House sat in shocked silence as Hufflepuff applauded again.

"That was unexpected but welcome. Thank you, Hat. I'll come speak with you again. Probably tomorrow as Dumbledore is bound to demand I go see him." Harry removed the Hat and set it on the Head Table.

Harry walked over to stand before Madam Maxime. "Madam, thank you again in showing the Hogwarts may be the best in Scotland, but that we have a ways to go to be up to your standard. If it doesn't work out, even with my House affiliation change, may I have an information packet to see about transferring to your school?"

The Headmistress smiled, "Of course. Go on now, I think we have much to discuss up here."

Harry grinned. "This was the one time being the center of attention was a good thing, I think. Sometimes you have to fight fire with determination, and good research."


	16. R10 Additional

**A/N  
** **The Houses Competition  
** **Round Ten  
** **House: Hufflepuff  
** **Student: Year 5  
** **Category: Additional (1000-3000 Words)  
** **Prompt(s): [Event] Remembrance Day  
** **Word count: 1677 (Per Google Docs)**

 **Notes: Remembrance Day is November 11. In 1991, the Golden Trios First Year, this falls on a Monday.  
**

 **The Rant**

Hermione had been thoroughly shaken when Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom ran into the bathroom where she had been hiding after Ron insulted her so harshly after their Charms class. It was the first time she could ever remember missing class… though it was _not_ the first time she had been the victim of bullying.

Harry told her after the fact that Ron had refused point-blank to come help him find her. He also told her that Neville had told him where she was and offered to come with him. Harry told Ron to stay away from Hermione since it was his fault that she nearly got killed and that he was an idiot for belittling her and turning down her help in class.

Hermione still didn't really trust Ron not to go back to his mean behaviors from before the troll incident, but she did believe Harry and Neville would be true friends to her. In fact, Harry had told her that she should borrow Hedwig to send a letter to her parents letting them know about the troll and that she now had friends. She also asked for one item to be sent to her for the upcoming Remembrance Day.

Eleven days later, Monday morning dawned bright and cold. Hermione sluggishly got out of bed and debated skipping classes for the second time in her entire school career. "Eleven November," she sighed out as she looked at her uniform at the foot of her bed.

She slid out from under her warm blankets and tied her hair back out of her face without even attempting to tame her curls properly. "Grandfather Granger, on this day, November eleventh in the year nineteen ninety-one, I remember you and your sacrifice in Her Majesty's Navy. I just wish…" She shook her head and started to get dressed for the day. "I wish I could spend Remembrance Day with Mum and Dad. I don't think these wizards and witches will understand what today truly stands for."

She made sure that she put on her warmth-charmed shoes and left her dorm to meet with Harry and Neville. She was still on the fence on whether or not she could trust Ron, after all, he was the reason she came face-to-face with a troll in the first place and he refused to be a part of her rescue.

"Hermione!" Harry called out as he saw her appear at the base of the stairs. "How are you today?"

Hermione shrugged. "I've been better, but what can you do about it. It's not like _they_ ," she waved her arm to encompass the Common Room with its overabundance of purebloods at this hour, "would understand Remembrance Day."

Harry blinked, then nodded. "I can get that. Mum's granddad was in Her Majesty's Army and Mum's dad was in the Marines."

Hermione nodded. "Exactly. Grandfather Granger was in the Navy and he didn't come home either. I only hope that Mum and Dad were able to find what I asked for."

Harry just shrugged. "Hedwig left the castle yesterday and didn't come back before I went to bed, so maybe they called for her?" He looked the way out of the Common Room and towards the Grand Staircase.

"I hope so. Mum and Dad always let me wear Grandfather's military jacket during the Remembrance Day Parade, and since I'm not home this year… I asked Mum to send me one of his medals to carry in my pocket for the day." They stopped into the library staircase and waited for it to deposit them at the Great Hall level.

"Aunt Petunia never let me have any of the medals, but she never trusted Dudley with them either. Remembrance Day was the one day a year where it was okay for me to be a part of the family. I didn't get told to cook or clean. All I had to do was let Aunt Petunia talk about my family. I haven't checked to see if Mum might have put some in the vault at Gringotts. When Hedwig comes in, I'll send her off with a note to the bank and ask if someone can check it for me."

"That's a good idea." Hermione paused before they walked into the Great Hall. "Have you seen Neville this morning?"

"He was just getting up to take a shower when I went to the Common Room. He should be down soon. Why?" Harry gently nudged Hermione to walk to their table.

"I think he might have something to remember today, too. He lives with his Gran, not his parents…"

"Oh. Yeah. We'll talk to him and see if we can get Professor McGonagall to give us a pass for today. We probably won't be able to every year, but...well, it _is_ important to remember those that gave their lives. I bet more than a few Muggle-born and -raised would like to spend the day in remembrance and silence."

"Remembrance and silence? What's got your knickers in a twist, Potter?"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose as he counted to ten. "Go away, Malfoy."

Malfoy just stood there with his brutish friends flanking him and scoffed. "I don't think so, scar-head. Why don't you tell me what you were whispering about with the know-it-all."

Harry sighed heavily and turned to face the Slytherin. "You really want to know?"

Draco sneered, "I said I did."

"Fine." Harry raised his voice slightly, garnering the attention of most of the Great Hall. "We were talking about how today, the eleventh of November, is considered Remembrance Day to the Muggles. Remembrance Day is a day where we would go to visit our family members that have fallen in the line of duty, be it in Her Majesty's Royal Navy, Marines, Army or Air Force. We also recognize those that have served in country as part of the fire brigade or with the police or any number of specific jobs dedicated to the well-being of others. Sometimes, we even visit those that made it home but were not whole enough to live on their own. The only time I've seen anyone even give a hint of something like that in the Magical World is on Halloween when everyone seemed bound and determined to praise _me_ for something my mum and dad did to keep me safe. Now if you don't mind," Harry stood and stared down the blond, " _go away_ so we can remember our family members in peace."

Malfoy snarled but walked away when faced with the entirety of Gryffindor.

"Wow, Harry," Neville said as he sat down across from him. "That was intense. It that a real thing, then? Remembering them that keep you safe?"

"Yeah, it's real. A lot of Muggles go into the military to help protect Queen and country. In some families, it's a matter of pride to have someone serving. It's kind of like...Aurors and Hit Wizards. They protect the citizens of the Magical World, right?" Hermione responded for Harry.

Neville nodded, "Mum and Dad ar- were Aurors. They were attacked by Dark Wizards and an insane witch that tortured them until...um, yeah. Aurors are supposed to protect everyone."

"That's what the Muggle military is for. They protect...everyone from threats, both foreign and domestic."

"What's that mean, foreign and domestic?"

Hermione nodded approvingly, "Well, in Wizarding terms, foreign would be like if…  
Grindelwald brought his followers here and started attacking indiscriminately against all wizards. Grindelwald started his reign of terror in Germany. Domestic… it's much like our own Dark Lord Vo-Voldemort, and his vile Death Eaters attacking the Light Faction. They started here and are bound and determined to see a form of genocide take place, making them the 'ruling body' once they complete their purge. I'm sure most of the students here are aware of the numbers of casualties in those separate wars." She looked up and realized the entire Hall was focused on her history lesson.

Hermione took a deep breath and continued "Now, Muggle flipside of that coin is fairly simple. Domestic, we once again turn to Germany. Hitler was a Muggle that decided that all people that were part of a certain faith, or religion, and those that did not fit his ideal of beauty, deserved to die. His campaign saw to the deaths of over thirteen _million_ people, at least two million of which were German citizens. From there, Hitler's campaign spread across the continent, turning into a Foreign attack, racking up the death tolls, until the Wizarding World would have amounted to nothing in the face of one of his attacks. There are even rumors that Grindelwald had his own political enemies targeted by Hitler. So you see, foreign and domestic… it could be anything, depending on where you are sitting."

Hermione sat back and took a bite of her breakfast. "Class is in a few minutes, but anyone with access to the Muggle World can get books and histories to verify what I've talked about today. If you don't believe me, just look for the information."

Hedwig soared into the Great Hall in the midst of the silence and landed on Hermione's shoulder with a package. Hermione untied it and opened it under the watchful gaze of the Hall. "Grandfather's Victoria Cross." She clutched the medal tightly and turned to Professor McGonagall. "Professor. I think we need to talk."

Professor McGonagall sighed. "Of course, Miss Granger. Everyone, get to class."

The Hall emptied until only a handful of Muggle-born and -raised, along with Harry, Hermione, and Neville remained.

"What?"

"We _all_ need to talk," Hermione specified as the remaining students lined up behind her. "I think there need to be a few changes implemented, and your starting force is here." She smiled as she thought about the good that could be had, just by incorporating a Muggle Tradition that could easily be adopted by the Magical.

The castle didn't know what hit it, and it all started because of a rant on Remembrance Day and its importance.


End file.
